


Butterflies and Black Eyes

by wondernerd



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Identity Reveal, honestly there's like no violence except for that one tiny thing, mild violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-06-01 11:50:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6517510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wondernerd/pseuds/wondernerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Butterfly Effect is defined as a minute, localised change in a complex system that can have large effects somewhere else. For example, a disagreement with a certain, emotionally-distant father can lead to two certain superheroes finding out each other's secret identities. </p>
<p>In which Chat Noir gets punched in the face and drama follows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic and I can't believe it's about Miraculous Ladybug because this show is stupid..... but alas, here I am.  
> I had my own little headcanon of Chat getting a bruise on his face and Ladybug sort of... putting her hands around his face? and then Marinette doing the same thing when she sees Adrien with a bruise in the same place Chat Noir got hit.  
> I hate these stupid superheroes and their blindness.  
> The title doesn't really make sense.....

The Butterfly Effect is defined as a minute, localised change in a complex system that can have large effects somewhere else. For example, a disagreement with a certain, emotionally-distant father can lead to two certain superheroes finding out each other's secret identities.

Adrien didn’t ask many questions when he agreed to become Chat Noir. The promise of freedom from his stifling life was something that he couldn’t turn down. Of course, the puns were just icing on the cake. He learned things as they came, like how his transformation could protect most major wounds and Ladybug’s cure would always take care of anything that Plagg couldn’t save him from. In other words, Plagg not only helps Adrien transform, but he also keeps the boy safe from harm that may come to him after something like falling off a building or crashing into a traffic sign face-first. Adrien didn’t think of the fact that Plagg has control over his transformation, which is why Adrien didn’t think that forgetting his kwami’s precious cheese would have any consequences. Adrien didn’t think, and then he got punched in the face.

-

It started with breakfast one morning. As usual, he sat alone at the end of the too-long dining table while Nathalie read him the day’s schedule. He absentmindedly chewed on a stiff croissant when he realized what she had said.

“Wait- what?” He looked at the assistant, who stopped reading and gave him a stern look.

“Were you not listening? I said that your father doesn’t want you going to school for a while. There are far too many akuma attacks taking place there, not to mention that the Spring season is starting soon and you’ll be expected to step up with your responsibilities as a model and your duty to your father.” She paused, giving him a chance to let the information sink in.

“But-” He faltered, feeling a mix of disappointment and fury. Akuma attacks were happening all over the city, and while it was true that a lot happened at his school, it wasn’t his fault. Besides, it was actually more convenient for him considering the fact that as Chat Noir, and his duty was to fight them off with Ladybug. He wouldn’t be able to do his job if he was stuck at home like the prisoner he often felt like. “I want to speak to my father.”

Adrien stood up, not waiting for an answer and squaring his shoulders. He barged into the office, where Gabriel Agreste sat at his desk, checking his Spring designs for any flaws. He didn’t even notice his son had come in until the boy spoke, “how could you do this to me?”

“Adrien, what are you doing here?” His dad looked up from the designs, eyeing Adrien with a look of surprise and slight annoyance. “I’m busy, son.”

“You can’t pull me out of school.” Adrien crossed his arms, trying to hide his shaking hands. _Why was this so intimidating? Why is it so hard to speak to my own father??_ , he thought bitterly.

“I can, and I have. This is your last week until Ladybug and Chat Noir get the akuma problem under control.” Something flashed in his eyes as he put his pen down to talk to his son. “You’ll be late for class if you don’t leave soon, you wouldn’t want to miss time with your friends. You have to understand that this is in your best interest, I am only concerned for your safety and I believe that you’ll be safer here."

 _Pulling me out of school might actually make the problem worse_ , Adrien wanted to yell. He wished he could show his father that he is more than capable of protecting himself, even without Plagg’s help. “Nothing has happened to me, I’ve been at school all year and I haven’t been akumatised or hurt and even if I was in danger I didn’t take fencing or karate for nothing-”

“Adrien.”

“I’m just trying to say that I can-” He knew he was rambling, that it was hopeless to argue with his father, but the Chat Noir side of him would be ashamed if he didn’t do anything about it.

“Adrien, that’s enough.” Gabriel’s eyes hardened with frustration now, shocked with this outburst from his son.

“No! I can protect myself, Father! I’m not as helpless as I was when Mom disappeared!” The silence that followed would haunt both of them for years to come. Grey eyes met green. Adrien’s heart was beating faster than it ever had, but he couldn’t crack under his dad’s austere stare. He regretted saying it, but it was the truth. He’d spent a year as Chat Noir, a year as a somewhat normal student in a school with actual people. He’d learned things that he never would’ve known otherwise. If an akuma attacked him, and he wasn’t able to transform, he would still be safe. It was time his dad accepted that. “I’m going to class, and I will keep going until I graduate. Have a nice day, Father.”

He stalked out of the office, taking deep breaths and trying not to run as fast as his legs would carry him. Without thinking, he grabbed his bag and went to the car. Plagg cautiously came out of his hiding place in Adrien’s shirt. His mouth open and closed like he wanted to say something, but the words didn’t seem to form.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Adrien whispered, looking away as the car pulled up to the school.

“I’m here for you, ok?” Plagg said, he got back in Adrien’s bag as the car stopped and the boy stepped out.

Nino waved from his spot on the steps, his smile falling when he saw Adrien’s drooped shoulders and somber expression. “Hey dude, dad problems again?”

“Yeah,” Adrien sighed, “dad problems.”

-

“What do you mean there’s no cheese?” Plagg asked, his voice rising in a panic only a lack of Camembert could bring.

“I mean I forgot to bring more cheese and you ate the emergency stash yesterday.” Adrien replied, closing his locker after looking for any of Plagg’s stinky food. He was alone in the locker room, everyone had gone on their lunch breaks and Adrien was avoiding having to go back to his house. He’d told the Gorilla that he made plans with Nino, Alya, and Marinette, which was only a half-life. Marinette had offered to all go to lunch at her place. Adrien was tempted to go, but he needed a moment for himself after the morning’s events and a long essay in Lit.

“How do you forget something like this??” The kwami phased back into his locker, no doubt searching in vain for any cheese that might have been hidden. “I don’t ask for much, Adrien, just cheese and a nice place to sleep.”

“I’m sorry, ok? After talking to Father I forgot that we didn’t have any. I’ll ask Nathalie to put it on the shopping list when we get home.” He sat down on a bench put his head in his hands.

“Well, fine. But don’t blame me if I don’t have the energy to do everything that comes with transforming.” Plagg phased back into view, crossing his arms and sticking his nose in the air.

“What’s that supposed to mean, Plagg?”

“I mean you should be careful if an akuma attacks before I get cheese. I hope the next one isn’t that physical.”

“Seriously? Just because I can’t get you Camembert this one time?” Adrien couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This is just what he didn’t want to deal with today. “You can survive a couple hours, Plagg, I-”

A crash outside interrupted his thoughts. Adrien groaned, hoping that it was just some clutz who’d dropped something. However, the screams that followed spurred Adrien into action. “Plagg, Claws Out!”

-

Chat Noir ran outside the school to find the cause of the commotion. The sight that met him would’ve been hilarious if it wasn’t for the fact that Plagg had warned him about being careful. The akuma had taken the form of a very exaggerated Mexican wrestler. “I am Boxer! You will all marvel at my strength!” The man was wearing a red and gold leotard and a wrestling mask. His gloved hands were huge and proved to be destructive when he swung at a telephone booth and smashed it into a building across the street. Chat’s bravery wavered. Where was Ladybug?

As if on cue, she landed next to him and put her hands on her hips. “Do you think he got angry because his favourite boxer lost?”

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Chat shrugged, “what’s the plan?”

“We should get him away from buildings, away from civilians. I’m gonna take a guess and say that the akuma is in his gloves, so we have to get those off.” Ladybug looked at him expectantly. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine” Chat smiled, “Let’s get this match started!”

Ladybug followed close behind, dodging and weaving under Boxer's punches. They led him to the nearby park which had been emptied, on account of everyone running away at the first sign of danger. Boxer roared each time his punch missed its targets. He gave his speech about getting revenge and retrieving Chat Noir’s and Ladybug’s miraculous, saying things they’d both heard a hundred times over the past year. The two superheroes moved in tandem, expecting what the other would do before they did it.

Everything was going smoothly until Boxer’s eyes lit up under a pink mask and he grinned with malice. Raising both of his arms high over his head, he laughed and brought them down onto the ground, just as Ladybug landed after leaping away from his previous attacks. The ground shook, and Chat watched as she lost her balance and fell, landing hard on her back.

“Ladybug!” He reached for her, panic rising in his chest when she rolled onto her side in pain. Chat ignored the Boxer, saying something about how he was the strongest man alive, and ran towards his Lady. He needed to be sure he was safe, and in that moment nothing else mattered. He was so consumed with worry and guilt over not being able to protect her, he didn’t notice the giant fist that was coming straight at him. Ladybug’s eyes met his just as the akuma's fist met the side of his face, sending him flying over a bench and into a fountain.

Colours blurred and darkness appeared at the edge of his vision. He tried to stand up, only to trip over his own feet. In the distance, he heard Ladybug conjure her lucky charm. A few seconds later, he saw her- he assumed it was her, but all he could make out was a red blob- throw something at Boxer and then run towards him. Then, a rip of fabric and a whoosh of her yoyo, and her miraculous cure washed over the area as it cleared all the rubble. She ran towards him and pulled him out of the water.

“Chat! Chat, are you ok? Answer me, you stupid cat!” She knelt on the ground beside him, shaking his shoulder. He blinked a few times as her face came back into focus. Her blue eyes were filled with worry and his heart swelled under her gaze.

“Yeah- better now,” he grinned, sitting up and accepting her hand when she offered it to pull him to his feet.

“Chat, your face!” She gasped, reaching her hands to either side of his face as her brows furrowed into a frown. Her thumb gently traced the line of his cheekbone, where the skin under his mask was rapidly turning various ugly shades of purple. “My Cure didn’t work.”

“It’ll be fine, but your concern for me makes my heart grow, Bugaboo.” He grinned, wincing when the right side of his face stung in protest. “I didn’t feed my kwami, and he’s being a jerk about it.” He brought his hands to cover hers, leaning into her touch. Ladybug didn’t look convinced when she stepped back.

“You should’ve been able to avoid that punch,” she crossed her arms, looking at her feet.

“You were down, I needed to make sure you were oka-” Her earing beeped loudly, and she seemed to realize that the was running out of time.

“Make sure you put ice on that, ok? Be more careful, Chat. I can take care of myself, but only if you take better care of yourself.”

“I’ll try, my lady.” He kissed her hand and she leapt away, using her yoyo to leap onto a building and then out of sight. He sighed and ran towards the school, knowing his lunch hour was nearly up. Chat Noir snuck into the locker room and de-transformed a second before a group of his schoolmates walked in. He quickly put a grumbling Plagg into his bag and walked out to find Nino. He didn’t notice the weird stares people were throwing his way until he found Nino in the courtyard, chatting with Alya about the latest akuma attack.

“Hey, there you are- DUDE! What happened to your face?” Nino gasped, staring at his friend in disbelief. “Did you get in a fist fight?”

“What?” Adrien frowned, reaching up to touch his right cheek. He winced when he realized how tender and sore it was, and dread settled into the pit of his stomach. How was he supposed to explain this? “Oh, I- um...”

“You didn’t try to fight the Boxer by yourself did you?” Alya commented, raising a brow, “that’s gonna be a nasty bruise.”

“What’s going to be a nasty bruise?” Marinette walked up to the small group, carrying a small pastry box. She turned to look at Adrien and her face lost all it’s color. “Adrien! What happened? Are you okay?” She practically threw the box at Alya and stepped in front of him, her hands reaching up to touch either side of his face, just as gently as Ladybug had done not so long ago.

“Yeah- I just-” Adrien’s brain faltered. He stared at her blue eyes, filled with concern and worry. It looked so familiar, his heart leapt up to his throat and he forgot how to breathe. _It can’t be... could it_? The blue eyes, the way her thumb gently ran over his cheekbone, the freckles splashed on her nose, her dark hair pulled back into those too-familiar pigtails. “Have you put ice on it like I told you?” She asked, her brows tilted in distress and her voice barely louder than a whisper. He leaned into her touch, the moment was so soft and gentle, it was just Marinette and Adrien.

Until she realized what she was doing.

“Oh! Sorry- I just, um- your face!” She brought her hands back down to her sides as her eyes widened in realization and embarrassment.

She looked at him again, this time looking just as confused as he felt.

 _Oh my god_. Adrien’s heart stopped.

Marinette’s face reddened, her bluebell eyes widening, giving her the look of a bug. A very specific bug that just so happened to save the city every other day. 

Alya and Nino looked on in amusement as they fist bumped each other.

Green eyes met blue in silent communication.

 _Oh. My. God._ The bell rang somewhere in the distance and Marinette all but sprinted back to class, leaving behind a sniggering Alya and Nino and a dumbfounded Adrien. He felt like the world was spinning way too fast as he ran over what had just happened and what he had just realized.

_Marinette is Ladybug, and I’m an idiot._

Somewhere in his bag, Plagg was hiding his laughter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ladybug watches her partner get punched in the face and Marinette realizes something.

In some myths and legends, soulmates are connected by more than destinity. They are connected emotionally on a fundamental level that is only understood when they finally come together. Marinette didn’t know about these myths, so she was confused when she suddenly woke up feeling hurt and frustrated.

“What’s wrong, Marinette?” Tikki asked, surprised by the sudden movement.

“I don’t know” the girl sighed, bringing her arms up to hug herself, “I just feel really bad all of a sudden.”

“Are you getting sick?”

“No... it’s more like, I just heard some really bad news or something. I don’t know... it must’ve been a bad dream.” Marinette brushed it off, and forgot about any negative feelings once she came downstairs for a breakfast of fresh croissants.

She left for school feeling completely normal, and for once she was finally on time. Alya met her outside the bakery and they walked to school together, waving to Nino as they walked past. Marinette was disappointed when she didn’t see Adrien with him, but breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that even if he had been there, she probably would’ve made a fool of herself as usual. The two girls had taken their seats in class when the bell rung and Adrien and Nino walked in.

Marinette noticed that Adrien wasn’t himself right away; the light in his eyes was missing and his entire demeanor seemed to droop in sadness. Her heart ached for him, and she searched her mind for anything she could do. Class started as usual, but Marinette had other things on her mind that were more important than Literature. She sighed loudly while Alya rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what her friend was thinking.

“You should invite him over for lunch,” Alya whispered, trying not to get noticed by Ms. Bustier, who had begun her lesson.

“What?!” Marinette cringed, knowing she had said that way too loud. She apologised when Ms. Bustier gave her an annoyed look and leaned over to her friend. “What are you talking about?”

“We’ll talk about it after class,” Alya giggled, taking out her pencil and pretending to take notes.

-

The two girls were in the locker room, getting their things together for Physics.

“I can’t invite him to lunch... that’d be so weird! And random! And you know I can’t be alone with him” Marinette groaned, leaning on her locker’s door.

“Then we’ll go as a group,” Alya shrugged, picking up the heavy textbook and putting it in her bag, “But we can’t ignore the fact that Adrien is seriously blue today, I already talked to Nino and he agrees.”

“When did you talk to Nino?” Marinette wondered, trying to figure out when she would’ve had time to have this conversation. They walked out of the locker room and sat on a bench in the courtyard, waiting for the bell to ring.

“We text,” Alya blushed, Marinette grinned and raised her brow.

“Since when do you text during class?”

“This isn’t about us!” Alya laughed, “But seriously, we could go to your place for lunch. It’ll be like a double date.

A double date sounded wonderful to Marinette, but her anxiety got the best of her. “I don’t know... he probably has plans already-”

“Hey! Nino, Adrien!” Alya winked at Marinette as she walked away towards the two boys who had just entered the courtyard. “Any lunch plans?”

“I was gonna go to the cafe,” Nino shrugged, “but I can change that.”

“My dad probably wants me home...” Adrien sighed, looking away. Marinette longed to hug him, seeing him so upset made her chest tight.

“We could go somewhere together,” Alya suggested, feigning innocence, as if she had just come up with the idea. “Marinette, what do you think?”

“I- um- yeah. Bakery. My parents always have some extra food on hand,” the formed on her lips as if she were on autopilot.

“Sounds great! I’m in, Adrien?” Nino clapped his friends shoulder.

“Yeah, I’ll text my dad’s assistant and see.” Adrien smiled, but Marinette could see straight through it. She’d seen him smile before, but what he was showing now was his model instincts telling him how to look. It didn’t reach his eyes. Marinette’s heart broke for the hundredth time that day. _Why is he so sad?_

“Sweet,” Alya grinned as the bell rung and they all walked to class together, hoping they didn’t get a pop quiz or anything and wanting the lunch break to start already. Adrien lagged behind, fingers tapping away on his phone and Marinette found herself hoping he could come. She knew how much he loved her dad’s homemade quiche.

-

Lunch break came and with it an akuma. Marinette had just stepped inside the bakery with Nino and Alya, Adrien had said that he needed to check on something before and he’d meet them there. A second later, there was a loud crash and screams and Marinette’s instincts kicked in. Alya had her phone out impossibly fast and was out the door before Marinette could do anything about it.

“Stay inside! I’m going to go get her,” she said to her parents and Nino, who nodded and went into the relative safety of the kitchen. Once they were out of sight, Marinette ran up to her room, "Tikki, _Spots On_!"

-

She arrived on the scene a minute after Chat. He was standing at the bottom of the stairs of the collège, his shoulders seemed to be a lot more tense and something about the way he stood seemed... wrong.

Ladybug jumped off her roof and landed next to him, observing the akuma. He was dressed as a Mexican wrestler, but with huge boxing gloves. Upon closer inspection, he appeared to be wearing garments from lots of fighting styles- from wrestling masks to karate gloves. The boxing gloves seemed to be the focal point though, as they were decorated with butterflies.

“Think he got mad his favourite boxer lost?” Ladybug asked, looking at her partner.

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Chat shrugged, “what’s the plan?”

Ladybug frowned, no puns. Something was definitely wrong. “We should get him away from buildings, away from civilians. I’m gonna take a guess and say that the akuma is in his gloves, so we should get those off....” She turned to him, and actually found herself hoping for one of his signature puns. When none came, she started to worry. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine” Chat smiled, and Ladybug saw how it didn’t reach his eyes. She was suddenly reminded of someone else whose smile wasn’t all it usually was today. “Let’s get this match started!” He said and leaped into battle before she could say anything else.

At least his fighting wasn’t off. He predicted her movements and was where she needed him to be before she realized it. All the signs pointed to a clean battle. All the civilians had cleared out and the two superheroes lured him to the park to minimize damage to buildings where people would be hiding. Ladybug dodged and ducked under punches, swinging her yo-yo and throwing Boxer off balance as Chat knocked him over with his staff. The akuma roared, ranting about being the strongest man alive and getting their miraculous.

She nearly rolled her eyes at the ease of it all, but a nagging voice at the back of her head said that this was too easy, and that voice was right.

He threw another punch towards her and she flipped backwards, doing a handspring just as he lifted his fists, only to smash them into the ground the second her feet touched down. The earth shook and she found herself falling backwards, propelled by momentum. She heard Chat call her name as she hit the ground, hard, knocking the wind out of her lungs and hitting her head. _Owww_ , she groaned, rolling to her side. She reached up to rub the growing lump on the back of her head, wondering why her miraculous powers hadn’t taken the brunt of that fall as they usually did. Either way, she cursed to herself, knowing she should’ve been able to avoid falling like that all together.

Ladybug looked up to see Chat sprinting towards her, but a movement towards his right caught her eye and her lips formed a warning a second too late.

She watched as her trusted partner was flung into a fountain by a fist the size of his head. When he didn’t get up right away, a spark of rage brought her to her feet. She called for her Lucky Charm and a bottle of perfume appeared in her hands. It only took a second for her to figure out what to do, and she ran straight towards Boxer, who was still laughing over getting the best of Chat for a second. He saw her coming, but not before she threw the fragrance bottle right at him. The akuma coughed and instinctively brought his hands up to his face, only for Ladybug to grab his gloves and rip them both in half for good measure. Her Miraculous Cure washed over the area, and she felt the lump on her head instantly feel a lot smaller.

She ran towards Chat, who looked like he had tried to get up, he was lying down besides the fountain, looking as dead to the world as any cat who’d just been thrown into water. She knelt down and put her hand on his shoulder.

 “Chat! Chat, are you ok? Answer me, you stupid cat!” She fought to keep her emotions under control, but deep down she felt that this was her fault. He blinked a few times and his green eyes met hers, seeming to come into focus now. Her eyes trailed to the right side of his face, and a pit of dread settled in her stomach.

“Yeah- better now,” Chat smiled, sitting up. She stood up and offered her hand, which he graciously took to stand beside her.

“Chat, your face!” She gasped, her worst fears confirmed. A bruise of various ugly shades of purple and blue was starting to blossom on his cheek. Ladybug lifted her hands to either side of his face as her brows furrowed into a frown. Her thumb wandered over the curve of his cheekbone, where the skin under his mask had begun to change colours. “My Cure didn’t work.”

“It’s fine, but your concern for me makes my heart grow, Bugaboo.” He grinned, but she didn’t miss the wince when he realized that he was actually hurt. Because of me....“I didn’t feed my kwami, and he’s being a jerk about it.”

She felt the weight of his hands cover hers as he leaned into her touch. Something about the movement made something stir inside Ladybug, because while she was worried and upset, the moment felt completely natural. He looked at her with so much love in his eyes, and guilt overwhelmed her once more.

Ladybug bit her lip and stepped back, remorse crawling up from inside her. She should’ve seen that move coming before it did, because if she’d noticed that Boxer’s eyes had been surrounded in pink a moment before she fell, maybe she wouldn’t have fallen.

“You should’ve been able to avoid that punch,” she crossed her arms, looking at her feet. Chat Noir had been running towards her when he got punched, because she had made a stupid mistake.

“You were down, I needed to make sure you were oka-”

Her earing beeped loudly, snapping her back to reality. “Make sure you put ice on that, ok? Be more careful, Chat. I can take care of myself, but only if you take better care of yourself.” She needed him more than he would ever know, she understood that now.

“I’ll try, my lady.”

-

She transformed in an alley beside the bakery and ran inside, finding Alya with Nino and her parents, talking about all the great footage she had gotten.

“They were so close guys, like, seriously. If they’re not a thing then I don’t know what love is- Marinette! Where were you?” Alya pounced on her, spinning her around to make sure she wasn’t hurt.

“I was looking for you! You ran out so fast, I-” Marinette processed the words she had just heard, “wait, what do you mean love?”

“I mean, Chat got punched in the face and Ladybug got so intense, honestly, I’d be surprised if the akuma victim didn’t get PTSD every time he smelled nice perfume now- you should’ve seen the way she just smashed that bottle into his face!” Alya was practically vibrating in her excitement over the footage. “AND THAT’S NOT EVEN THE BEST PART! She ran over to Chat and- oh my god, Marinette- the way they looked at each other.”

Marinette’s face reddened, and she quickly tried to change the subject. “That’s great, Alya... but now our lunch break is almost over and I’m still starving.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that!” Sabine piped up from her place behind the counter. She pushed over a box, “I packed up some snacks for you to bring to the school, you can eat it there so you don’t miss the bell. I also packed a little extra in case Adrien wanted any, since he didn’t show up.”

“Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, you’re the best,” Nino smiled, Alya grinned and gave her thanks. Marinette kissed her parents cheeks and took the box. The three friends set off back to the school, Marinette walking a little behind as Nino and Alya discussed Paris’s favourite superheroes further. They were about to cross the street when she remembered something.

“Oh! Guys, I forgot something, I’ll be right there.” She ran back in the bakery as her friends walked back to the school. “Mama? Papa? Did you pack any quiche?” She called out to the bakery once she went inside.

“You sure betcha, we know it’s his favourite.” Her dad’s head appeared around the corner and he winked, while her mom appeared from behind him, trying to hide a giggle when their daughter turned a furious shade of pink.

“Thanks, love you both!” She smiled and ran back towards the school. Nino and Alya were talking to Adrien in the courtyard already. Marinette gripped the box a little tighter, hoping that the contents could brighten up Adrien’s day just a little bit.

“- That’s gonna be a nasty bruise” Alya was saying to him, confusing Marinette.

“What’s gonna be a nasty bruise?” How could Adrien have a bruise? Did someone hit him?? _They better not have or a certain bug is going to have to pay them a visit_.... She thought, half joking, half completely serious. Adrien turned around, and the sight made Marinette’s heart plummet. He had a bruise on the right side of his face, right where- _right where Chat got punched_. “Adrien! What happened? Are you ok?” She gasped and rushed towards him, giving Alya the box to hold.

Her hands flew up to his face, gently cupping his cheeks. The movement seemed so natural, so obviously right, she wasn’t even thinking about it. Her thumb gently traced the line of his cheekbone, running over the bruised skin. His eye was slightly swollen, and she wondered if he’d done anything about it yet.

“Yeah- I just-” Adrien’s eyes met hers, and she felt herself sigh when she looked into the familiar green that were full of too much love. He leaned into her touch, sighing softly as his hand came up and covered hers. _Chat, you idiot._

“Have you put ice on it like I told you?” She whispered, her mouth moving on its own accord. Her brain caught up a second later, and her hands flew back to her sides as her eyes bugged out and her face turned as red as the suit she wore every time an akuma attacked. “Oh! Sorry- I just, um- your face!”

She looked away as something clicked. No, not something, _everything_ clicked.

The green eyes that were full of love she didn’t deserve, because it was her fault he was hurt, the way his hand covered hers so perfectly, the blonde hair made of actual sunshine, except on days like today when the light was missing. She thought back on the way Chat was acting and how it reflected exactly on how Adrien was behaving. _No... it can’t be... can it?_

She looked up at him again, seeing her own confusion reflected in his eyes. Her sight flicked to the bruise on his face, the exact shape and size as Chat’s from just a few minutes ago.

_Oh my god._ Marinette’s heart stopped.

She heard Alya and Nino sniggering somewhere in the background, but at the moment, her world was consumed by two blonde boys who were complete opposites, yet one and the same.

Blue eyes met green in silent understanding.

_OH. MY. GOD._ The bell rang somewhere and before he had the chance to say anything, she grabbed Alya’s arm and ran back to class. She registered a “What was that??” Coming from her friend, but words wouldn’t form on her lips. The world was spinning way too fast, and no amount of running could help her catch up to what she had just realized.

_Adrien is Chat Noir, and I’m an idiot_.

Somewhere in her bag, Tikki is hiding her squeals of joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like angst because that's whats coming hahahahahahaha


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien deals with the consequences and is a Drama Queen

To say Adrien was freaking out would be a gross understatement.

All at once, everything made sense, and yet he was as confused as ever. Of course he’d wondered about Ladybug’s true identity, but he’d never have guessed that she was someone he knew. Nevermind someone who sat behind him in class and stuttered every time he spoke to him. He thought back on all his interactions with her, both in and out of the suit. He felt like his heart was in his throat, and his stomach was full of butterflies that were each flying in a different direction.

Of course Marinette was Ladybug. Images of all the times that he got to witness her as she was, not as the shy girl who couldn’t speak to him properly, flashed in his mind. He thought of that time he worked with her, as Chat Noir, against Evillustrator, and how she had been so clever and remarkably brave in the face of one of the most powerful akuma they’d encountered (I mean seriously he could just _draw_ or  _erase_ anything he wanted to). He thought of all the times she stood up against Chloe and defended her classmates. He thought of Class President Marinette and designer of Jagged Stone’s new album cover Marinette and everything made so much sense that it made his head spin.

“Adrien? Bro, are you ok??” Nino waved his hand in front of Adrien’s face, and suddenly the blonde was snapped back to the present moment, and he realized that this was real life and not a dream and  _Marinette is Ladybug oh my god how did I not see it_.

His breathing turned erratic and his knees weakened. _SHE DOESN’T EVEN CHANGE HER HAIRSTYLE_. He groaned and brought his hands up to his face as he crouched down, with his head between his knees.

“Dude, you’re being weird” Nino fretted, putting his hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “What’s happening, my man?”

 _Ladybug has been sitting behind us in class this entire time, Nino,_ Adrien wanted to shout. _How am I supposed to be normal now?_ Plagg came out of his shirt in the space between Adrien’s chest and his face, looking up at the boy with an amused expression.

“You’re scaring your friend, kid,” the kwami whispered, nudging Adrien’s chest. Adrien nodded and took a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm his heartbeat.

“Do you need to go to the nurse?” His friend’s voice chimed into his thoughts once more.

“YES” Adrien stood up so fast he nearly hit Nino right in the face, but luckily the aspiring DJ had moved back just in time with a shout of surprise. “Uhm- yeah, nurse. Good idea! I need an ice pack.” _And maybe a few years of therapy_.

“Okayyyyy, come on, I don’t trust you to be alone right now,” Nino guided his friend with a comforting hand on his back. The two boys went to the nurse, and after answering a few questions and coming up with a lame excuse (“I was trying to run away from the akuma and sort of ran into a door”), Adrien walked out with a blue ice pack and a tardy slip for both of them. They hurried back to class just in time to see Ms. Mendeleiev handing out a pop quiz. She took the note with nothing but a raised eyebrow and told them to sit in their seats. Chloe saw him and nearly screamed.

“Adrikins!! What happened to your perfect face? Who did this to you? Do I need to tell Daddy about this because he WILL send them to jail.” Chloe fumed, jumping out of her seat and grabbing his face, just as Marinette had done, but with none of the softness.

“It’s fine, Chlo, we have a quiz,” he pushed her off and she stomped back to her seat, staring at him the whole time. Adrien sighed and looked down at the sheet in front of him.

It took every ounce of willpower, and then some, for Adrien to sit without looking behind him. He could practically feel Marinette sitting right there and for the first time that year, Adrien found himself struggling to focus on his Physics.

The rest of the school day dragged on, and Adrien flinched every time he heard Marinette’s-Ladybug’s- voice answer a question or whisper something to Alya. Nino would nudge him every time Adrien’s mind wandered, which was often, given the fact that he thought about the fact that _Ladybug_ sitting right behind him.

Vaguely, he wondered what she was thinking at the moment. Was she freaking out just as much as he was? Would she treat him differently, now that he knew he was Chat Noir? Or would she treat Chat differently, knowing he was Adrien?

When the last bell finally rung, he twisted around to see if he could talk to her, but by the time he’d looked back, she was already out the door. Deciding it would look weird if he chased after her, he played off the sudden twist as a stretch.

“So,” Nino began as they walked towards the stairs, “how are you going to explain the black eye to your dad?”

Adrien froze. The thought hadn’t even occurred to him. His heart plummeted as he remembered that he was Gabriel Agreste’s son and he was expected to be at a photoshoot today and a Spring Preview show during the weekend.

“Oh noooooooooo” he groaned, running his hands through his hair in a panic. “What AM I going to say? He’s going to kill me. This is it for me. I’m dead,” Adrien sighed in exaggerated despair, “it was nice knowing you, Nino. Write a nice speech for my funeral.”

“Dude,” Nino laughed, “you’re such a drama queen.”

“Seriously, though, he’s not going to believe that I ran into a door.”

“Then tell him the truth?”

 _HA!_ Adrien almost burst out laughing, _and tell him I’m a part-time superhero and I got punched in the face by an akuma?_

“But seriously,” Nino continued, his voice a little heavier now, “how did you get that bruise?”

“I actually ran into a door,” Adrien shrugged, hoping his tone was convincing enough.

It wasn’t.

Nino narrowed his eyes. He was about to ask something again when Adrien’s car pulled up, and for the first time, Adrien was so glad to see it. “I’ll see you later!” He waved at his friend and ran towards the car, casting a sidelong glance towards Marinette’s bakery just in time to see her open the door. Their eyes met for a second - in which he forgot to breathe again- before she disappeared into the shop.

He sighed again and braced himself, knowing that Nathalie was waiting in the car for him. The photoshoot would undoubtedly be canceled, because even with all the makeup and tricky camera angles, his cheek was inflamed and his eye couldn’t open the entire way. Knowing this wasn’t going to end well for him, he slipped into the car and closed the door.

-

Adrien burst into his room and dived onto his bed, letting out a long scream that he’d been holding in since that afternoon.

After getting in his car, Nathalie had taken one look at him before she turned a surprising shade of red. She didn’t say a word as she picked up her cell phone and dialed his father.

What had ensued was a series of lectures, “I told you so’s” and “How could you be this irresponsible?” His father had been furious, and had interrogated him for every single detail. It had been exhausting, but when his father had finally realized that no amount of explanations could make the bruise go away, he’d let him go. Adrien wondered if he’d still be made to walk in the show this weekend. All his photoshoots had been rescheduled until further notice.

Naturally, any hope of staying in school for the rest of the year evaporated. Adrien hadn’t even brought it up, but he knew. When his voice couldn’t scream anymore, Adrien finally rolled off the bed and look out the window. He was surprised, and a little shocked, when he saw a note taped onto the outside. His feet tripped over every object in the way in his attempt to get to the window. He opened it and read the note, recognizing the writing almost immediately.

 _“Usual meeting place. 9pm. We need to talk._ ”

She had left her usual Ladybug signature, but he was surprised to see an ornate M next to it. The sight had made his heart speed up and a myriad of emotions swell up. He took out his phone and checked the time, 6:03 p.m.. “Great..”

“Is that from her?” Plagg questioned, appearing in his line of sight. The black kwami hadn’t said much that day, not really knowing what to say, but Adrien had felt the comforting nudges and purrs. He knew his kwami cared for him, even if he didn’t always show it. When they’d gotten home, Adrien had escaped long enough to find some leftover cheese in the kitchen, which Plagg had literally inhaled. It was gone before its smell could even reach Adrien’s nose. Adrien had also written down camembert on the shopping list that hung on the fridge, and he planned to go out and get some in his own time just to have extra so that this wouldn’t ever happen again.

“Yeah, do you have the energy to transform?” Adrien asked, hoping that the small amount of food the kwami had eaten would be enough.

“It’ll be fine,” Plagg shrugged, then he sighed, “I’m sorry about earlier.”

“What?”

“I was being a jerk...”

Adrien couldn’t believe his ears, did the kwami actually feel bad?

“But to be fair, you were being a jerk by not having cheese for me.”

 _Aand he’s back._ Adrien smiled, cupping his hands for the little sprite to sit in. “That is a fair point. I guess we’re even now?”

“Even. Now, I’m going to nap.” Plagg zoomed out of his hands and into his spot on the bed, curling up into a tiny black circle and Adrien heard snores within seconds. There were many fascinating things about Plagg, and his incredible ability to fall asleep so fast was one of them.

The meeting with Ladybug wasn’t going to be for another three hours, so Adrien passed the time by distracting himself with homework and video games. Not that it helped, because homework reminded him of the fact that Ladybug had to do this homework too, and Marinette liked the same video games he played.

He ended up on the floor of his bedroom, staring at the ceiling and hoping that time was passing faster than it felt like. Eventually, he got impatient. It was still ten after eight, but Adrien decided a quick climb up the Eiffel Tower couldn’t hurt. Maybe he could run out some of his frustrations and fears.

He woke Plagg up and a minute later, Chat Noir was vaulting over rooftops with the wind in his hair. For the first time that day, Adrien relaxed a little. He pushed everything out of his mind- the fight with his father, getting punched in the face, finding out that Marinette was Ladybug and he was meeting her in less than an hour. He only focused on his movements as he scaled the tower, jumping from one support beam to another. When he reached the top, he took a deep breath and took in the view of the city.

In that moment, everything seemed right. The city of lights twinkled beneath him, the wind hugged his body and carried away his troubles. He sat down, listening to the sounds of Paris.

He was so enthralled, he didn’t notice the yo-yo that wrapped around a beam and the figure clad in red until she landed behind him and groaned.

“Ladybug!” Chat Noir squeaked, leaping up in shock. He lost his balance and felt his foot slip off the edge of the platform, his lips started forming a surprised yelp and Ladybug’s eyes widened as she watched him fall backwards.

Luckily, her reflexes were fast, and he was caught by her yo-yo before his other foot followed him down what would’ve been an ungraceful fall. Not that he would’ve died.. His instincts would’ve caught up eventually, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t terrified for a solid second there. His heart hammered and adrenaline coursed through his veins as Ladybug steadied him.

“You alright?” She asked, snapping her yo-yo back once he’d nodded.

“Sorry, my Lady, you just sur-purr-ised me,” he grinned, the pun rolling off his tongue without thought. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"I guess you came here to blow off some steam too, huh?" Ladybug mused, smiling and looking at him as she always had.

For a second, everything was alright. Then they remembered why they were there. She sighed and looked at the ground.

“Chat-” She began.

“Wait-” Chat blurted, “I know that you were really serious about keeping our identities hidden and... I’m sorry that it happened.. Especially this way. I never imagined this is how it would go down but, I just want to say, I’m really glad it’s you, Marinette.”

Ladybug cringed at the sound of her name, and she turned away from him completely. She didn’t say anything, only looked over the city as cars bustled and lights twinkled. After a few minutes of silence, Chat began to feel uncomfortable. His thoughts raced, had he said something wrong? He looked at Ladybug- his heart both swelling and breaking. There was so much more he needed to say, but he wasn’t sure if he should.

“Hey, chat got your tongue?” He tried, hoping to get a reaction from her. When none came, he slumped his shoulders in defeat. 

He loved her. He loved Ladybug _so much_ , and looking at her now, with the lights of the city giving her a soft glow, knowing her identity didn’t change it. He’d always liked Marinette, and if he hadn’t been pining after Ladybug, he would’ve paid more attention to her. She was Ladybug, after all, and Adrien had decided long ago that he’d love that girl on both sides of her mask.

“My Lady, I need to tell-”

“Chat,” Ladybug finally turned to look at him, and he was shocked to see her eyes shining with tears. _Did I do that?_ His mouth hung open with unsaid words as she bit her lip and a single tear rolled down her cheek, “I can’t do this.”

She had jumped off the tower and was swinging her way down before he had the chance to respond. Her words rung in his ears and reverberated in his bones.

 _I can’t do this._ He watched her disappear behind some buildings, and he stood on top of the Eiffel Tower long after she’d gone, wondering what he had done wrong. There was only one thing he could think of, and it shattered his heart into a million pieces.

It was obvious.

_She hates me now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this all in one go and it's now 2 am I HOPE YOU'RE ALL HAPPY


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien is still upset and an ironic yet cheesy conversation about Romeo and Juliet is discussed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS SO LATE AND IM SO SORRY  
> But consider this:  
> a) I had finals and that sucked  
> b) I am very lazy and unmotivated  
> c) writer's block
> 
> Anywho, here's a new chapter. Sorry it's a bit short, but I felt that there was a definite "end" to this chapter and it would've been silly to keep going.. especially when I haven't updated in so long. The gears are going for the next chapter, so hopefully it won't be as long a wait as last time (For those who actually like this story and want it to keep going)
> 
> Enjoy!

Adrien had experienced his share of bad days. Days when he had photoshoot after photoshoot. Days when he’d be expected to attend one of his father’s events and play the role as The Perfect Son™. In the time before Collège Françoise Dupont, he’d had long days of bland tutors who would drawl about the History of this and the Equation of that.

The days following his mother's disappearance were the worst of his life.

But the days following "The Reveal" were a close second.

On one hand, Marinette no longer stuttered around him, much to the surprise of Alya and the others. On the other hand, she never spoke to him unless necessary. Even then, her words were cold, formal, impersonal. She spoke to him with a controlled indifference, the same way Nathalie read his schedule or the way his own Father regarded him.

It broke Adrien, to say the least.

To top it all off, his last day of school was quickly approaching. Nino had insisted on spending at least every lunch break together, something that Adrien treasured. Sometimes, Alya and Marinette would join and they’d go to a cafe together. Not that Marinette spoke to him. She played the part of an acquaintance, a classmate, nothing more, nothing less.

He wanted to reach out to her. More than anything, he wanted to know what was going on in her head and he wanted to know how to fix it. His mind played and replayed every memory he had of her; every time he’d fought alongside Ladybug or worked on a project with Marinette. He thought about her smile whenever they spoke, the roll of her eyes when he came up with a particularly bad pun, the look of concentration she got when she got her lucky charm or the determined furrow of her brows whenever Chloè was being particularly snooty.

The week was nearly over, and he hadn’t had a second alone with her. Not an akuma attack, no patrols, and no friendly chats in between classes. He found that every time he had a chance to say more than two words to her alone, she would go out of her way to avoid him. Seriously, at one point she had just come out of the locker room, only to turn and walk right back in when she saw him waiting for her.

He just wanted to talk to her, why was that so hard?

Maybe that’s why he was filled with an indescribable relief when Ms. Bustier partnered them up for a discussion about the day’s assigned reading- the first few scenes of Romeo and Juliet. He nearly jumped out of his seat when the class started drifting to their partners. Marinette hadn’t moved, waiting for him to fill the seat that Alya had left to join a smirking Nino. Adrien cautiously sat down next to her, thinking any sudden movements might scare her away.

“So, why do you think they fell in love at first sight?” Marinette began, looking intensely at the pages before her and scribbling something with her pen.

Adrien blinked. “Who?”

“Romeo and Juliet,” Marinette sighed with a roll of her eyes, a small smirk teased the corners of her lips but she said nothing else.

“Right,” he nodded, bringing his attention back to the lesson. “Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? They were soulmates. They were already in love with each other, they just needed to find each other.” Ha, he thought absentmindedly, laughing at the irony.

“I think they just fell in love with the idea of each other, both caught up in the moment of the ball and their attraction,” she rebutted, turning to face him “If they were soulmates, Romeo wouldn’t have been in love with Rosaline before he met Juliet.”

“Well,” Adrien paused, thinking of the words that would make the most sense “I think he did love Rosaline, but not in the same way he loved Marinette-”

“What?!”

“What?”

The words clicked, and he felt his face turn a vivid red just as hers turned a furious pink.

“I- I mean, Juliet. He- um- oh man.”

“That’s not even the question!” Marinette exclaimed, picking up the book and vehemently flipping the pages.

“Isn’t it, though?” Adrien murmured, just loud enough for her to hear. He saw as her shoulders drooped. He eyes peeked out from behind her book, and Adrien was surprised to see them shimmering with tears.

“I-” she began, taking a deep breath, “I need to go to the bathroom!” Marinette practically shouted, and all but sprinted to the door when Ms. Bustier had given her the ‘okay’. Adrien watched her go, legs itching to follow but mind telling him to stay put. He let out a defeated breath and rested his head in his hands.

“What’d you say to her?” Alya inquired, poking his forehead from her spot in the seat in front of him.

“I wish I knew,” he said, truthfully. _I really do_.

-

When Marinette returned, everyone had returned to their normal seats. They continued on with the lesson, but Adrien didn’t pay much attention. He’d already covered Romeo and Juliet in homeschooling.

Instead, his mind wandered to his and Marinette’s discussion. Love was a weird thing. Sure, he loved Ladybug first, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t love Marinette. She was everything Ladybug was, but more... human. She was everything Adrien loved, and more. It didn’t matter to him that he loved the Ladybug half of Marinette first, he’d already promised he’d love whoever was under the mask.

He needed to talk to her. It didn’t matter what was going on between them, but whatever it was needed to get sorted out. Adrien shuddered when he thought about how this distance between them would affect them when an akuma attacked.

The bell brought snapped him away from his thoughts. Next to him, Nino was packing his bags and apparently saying something, because words were said and then he looked at Adrien expectantly.

“What?”

“Dude,” Nino chuckled.

“Sorry, man, I was just thinking about... things... you know, model stuff?” Adrien’s voice went up a fraction too high at the end, and his friend squinted at him suspiciously.

“Whatever, broheim. I was asking you if you were busy after school tomorrow.” Adrien shook his head. A grin spread over his friends face and suddenly it was Adrien doing the suspicious squinting.

“Then we should have a party, dude! It’s your last day of relative freedom, for all we know. You said you were pretty much locked inside your house like some kind of precious princess when you were homeschooled. We gotta celebrate while we can!” Nino shook a fist in the air for emphasis.

“I’m not a princess!” Adrien sputtered, looking around the empty classroom in the hopes no one had heard. Marinette had run out the door before the bell had stopped ringing, just as she had done every day that week. Everyone else had filtered out as Adrien and Nino talked. “And, I don’t know.. I don’t think my father would let me have a party. Or go to one. Or do anything, really.”

“Adrien, my man, you just gotta tell a little white lie. Tell your father-” He put air quotes around the word ‘father’- “that you’re just going to hang out with me for a while. He’s been okay with letting you do that all week, right?”

“Yeah, but-”

“But what? I’m not saying we’ll have a rager. Just some friends- Marinette, Alya, etcetera, etcetera, some pizza, a round or two or ultimate mecha strike. Come on dude, I even talked to Chloe about it because she overheard me telling Alya about it... and she said we could go to her hotel. It’ll be fun!” Nino put his hands together in mock prayer, “Please? Let me do this for you.”

“Alright, it can’t hurt, right?” Adrien finally gave in, trying- in vain- to hide his enthusiasm. Maybe this is the chance he would need to talk to Marinette and clear the air.

“That’s the spirit!” Nino jumped into the air, giving Adrien a fist bump before dragging the blond out of his chair and chatting about this or that.

After all, what could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahahahahahahahahaha

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe I'll continue? Maybe I won't? Who knows.  
> Leave kudos or comments if you enjoyed because I thrive off of positive reinforcement. 
> 
> I can be found on tumblr.... avatarrrkorra.tumblr.com


End file.
